There's no guarantee the Browns finally got it right with their hiring of Hue Jackson. But the optimism coming out of the team's headquarters on Wednesday was impossible to miss as Jackson was introduced as the newest head coach in franchise history.
"We got the right guy for the Cleveland Browns," owner Jimmy Haslam said. "He's smart, he's tough, he's confident, he's competitive, he's been a head coach before."
Haslam wasn't close to finished ...
"He's got a great offensive mind, he's got a tremendous track record developing quarterbacks. ... He's very, very competitive. He understands the AFC North, he's been a part of the AFC North and I think he's going to be a great head coach of the Cleveland Browns."
When Jackson took the mic, he commanded the room and spoke with an air of confidence that makes you believe the Factory of Sadness could, at long last, close for good. Jackson has a big job ahead of him, but he's clearly not afraid of the challenge.
"This organization and this city deserves a winner and that's what I'm here to do."
Here's what you need to know from Jackson's welcome party in Berea, Ohio:
» Jackson offered an impassioned endorsement of the Browns' new braintrust -- executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta: "I am going to have the opportunity to work with some of the smartest men in football. I've been in a lot of different buildings, but I have never had an opportunity in two settings to sit down with two of the brightest minds in football in doing what they do."
» How much have Brown and DePodesta impressed Jackson? The coach believes the Browns -- the Browns! -- are about to become a new model for success in the NFL. "I like being cutting edge," he said. "I try to be innovative and cutting edge on offense. We wanted to be innovative and cutting edge on everything we do in this building because, eventually, everybody's going to be doing what we're doing. And that's the fun part about this."
» Jackson is a crowd-pleaser. He offered a fist pump to the Dawg Pound and promised he would "jump over in that pound" when he gets the Browns turned around. That would be must-see TV.
» NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Jackson "insisted on" the Browns severing ties with quarterback Johnny Manziel, but the coach sidestepped the issue when asked today: "I need to get in this building and have an opportunity to watch tape. I don't know Johnny personally, I know who he is, but at the same time I think I have to give everybody on our football team a fair opportunity to see who they are, learn who they are, then make decisions from there."
» Don't buy into what Jackson is selling there, but feel free to be optimistic that Jackson will convince star left tackle Joe Thomas to keep faith in the franchise after years of losing: "I want to sit down and talk to all of our players. I believe in my heart he'll be excited."
» Jackson doesn't sound like he has any concerns that the Cleveland Vortex Of Losing will preclude him from building an effective coaching staff. In fact, Jackson claimed he had "142 texts" on his phone from coaches who want in: "I'm gonna attract some good ones."
» I'm sure every Browns coach who's been chewed up and spit out since the 1999 reboot has spoken with optimism during their first news conference. But there's something about Jackson that makes you think there's more than hot air: "I feel comfortable and confident that I can get it turned and I expect to get it done."
We're about to find out.
